Budget plan restores a full school year and maintains current staffing levels

Gresham-Barlow School District Superintendent Jim Schlachter presented the proposed 2014-15 school district budget to the district’s Budget Committee Thursday night. The proposed $113 million general fund budget assumes a K-12 education budget statewide of $6.65 billion. At this level of state funding, the district is able to restore a full school year for students and maintain staffing levels.

“After five years of cuts to school days and reductions in staffing I am pleased to present a ‘no cuts budget,’” said Superintendent Jim Schlachter. “While we are far from having the revenues needed to increase staffing, providing more time in the classroom for our students and maintaining class sizes is definitely

good news.”

While class sizes are not expected to change next year, the school district proposes strategically using teaching positions to provide additional support. For instance, staffing will be higher at each of the district’s five highest poverty schools. Those schools each receive an additional teaching position. Additional staffing support will also be provided to the district’s two large high schools to hold down class sizes in 9th grade math. Student failure in the ninth grade often results in students falling off track for graduation. Ninth grade math is the most frequently failed class.

The proposed budget also earmarks funds to keep the district moving forward in its work to raise student achievement. Three hundred thousand dollars would be used to purchase elementary math curriculum that aligns to the Common Core State Standards. The district would set aside $100,000 for the advancement of its six educational initiatives. The proposed budget also allocates $31,000 in support for the Right Brain Initiative, an elementary arts program.

“I am thankful the funding from the state for next school year will allow us to hold steady,” said Schlachter. “I will be consistently communicating to our state lawmakers that the level of state funding is not yet at a point that allows for the reinvestment required to fully meet our mission.”

The district’s Budget Committee will review the proposed budget. The committee will meet on May 8 to continue to review the budget and provide an opportunity for public input. A second budget committee meeting may take place on May 15 if necessary. Once the Budget Committee approves the budget, the school board will vote on adopting the budget on June 12.